Letter: Politics and Art in Detroit

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Re "The Agony of Suspense in Detroit" (Arts pages, Oct. 3):

It is highly unlikely that any of the art publicly held by the Detroit Institute of Arts will be sold. There is a much larger political gambit at play.

Detroit's emergency financial manager was appointed by and answers to Michigan's Republican governor, Rick Snyder. Mr. Snyder's political bread is buttered in Detroit's wealthy and heavily Republican suburbs. These are the same voters who patronize the museum and approved increased taxes to support the museum. Many of Mr. Snyder's highest profile and wealthiest supporters are also significant donors to the museum and patrons of the arts in Detroit.

Mr. Snyder will never let the art be sold. It would infuriate his base and cut him off from enormous political contributions for his coming re-election campaign. Imagine Mr. Snyder asking for a campaign handout from a Grosse Pointe family that has donated paintings he just allowed to be sold to pay Detroit's debt. It would be political suicide.

What they are attempting to do with this discussion and the recent appraisal of the museum's art is create a false dichotomy between pensions and art. By holding an ax over the head of the museum, it will be far easier to break pension promises when choices have to be made.

DREW PHILP
Detroit, Oct. 3, 2013

The writer is a freelance reporter.

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